Project: Six courtyard houses by Ibarra Rosano Design Architects

The Six Courtyard Houses by Ibarra Rosano Design Architects


This urban infill project is comprised of courtyard houses. Designed Ibarra Rosano Design Architects in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The heart of each home is a private courtyard that expands the experience of the home by blurring the line between inside and out. The Courtyard is a traditional concept employed in hot arid regions because it takes advantage of cool desert nights by affording the house the ability to open into a secure and private space. Each house’s primary spaces expand onto the central courtyard, while the more intimate bathing areas extend into private landscaped light wells.

Architects: Ibarra Rosano Design Architects
Principals-in-charge: Luis Ibarra, Teresa Rosano
Structural Engineer: Caruso Turley Scott
Developer: Dreamspace, LLC.
Contractor: Repp Design + Construction, Inc.
Cost of Construction: approx. $130/sf
Phase 1-2: 2,297 sf (each of four houses)
Phase 3: 2360 sf + 438 sf studio (each of two houses)
Project completion: 2009
Photographs: Bill Timmerman
Source: Archdaily


This interconnectedness of indoor and outdoor space is a consistent trademark of the development. In the hallway, glue-laminated wood beams were crafted to form a dramatic window seat overlooking the courtyard.


The master bedroom shares access to the large outdoor “room” while the master bath and guest baths look onto small private outdoors spaces, giving one the sensation of bathing outdoors. Directly above the expansive kitchen island, the ceiling dramatically rises to provide a demarcation for the cooking area, and allow clerestory windows to provide balanced south and north light into the voluminous dining and living areas.

Contemporary House with Interior Courtyard in Switzerland by Luca Selva Architects

Horizontal House in Switzerland with Interior Courtyard

This modern horizontal house designed by Luca Selva Architects located in Lupsingen, near Basel in Switzerland. A private house – slate-clad roof and facade, windows and skylights dotting a low profile, minimalist design. An interior courtyard provides a surprise retreat into the outdoors, with rooms radiating out from this central focal point. This courtyard house design features sliding-glass doors that open onto the patio, bringing the outdoors into virtually every part of the house. This contemporary private house contradiction with the pastoral surroundings.

Project information:
Architect: Luca Selva Architects
Location: Lupsingen near Basel, Switzerland
Client: Private
Project year: 2004-2005
Project architect: Christoph Rothenhöfer
Civil engineer: Bitterli + Partner Ingenieure AG, Gelterkinden, Switzerland
Building physicist: reber.physics, Riehen, Switzerland
Photographs: Ruedi Walti, Menga von Sprecher

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